1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a sensor arrangement for force measurement, particularly in a motor vehicle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is known that in rotating parts that are guided by a roller bearing, such as on the wheel support of a motor vehicle, various measurement variables occur that are of great relevance to the driving systems and possibly also to the brake systems. The thus-supported components are often components of anti-lock brake systems, traction controls, or other control systems that favorably affect either driving performance or driving safety. It can be highly important to obtain measurement data, for instance about the rpm, the forces transmitted from the roadway to the vehicle via the wheel, or data about acceleration and braking forces.
Hydraulic brake systems in particular, or electromechanical brake systems known for instance from German Patent Disclosure DE 196 52 230 A1, and self-boosting electromechanical brake systems that are known per se can be considered as possible applications here. As a rule, such electromechanical brakes, and especially disk brakes, require information about the normal force exerted when the brake linings are pressed against the brake disk. Suitable force sensors are generally used for this purpose.
From German Patent Disclosure DE 197 53 554 A1, one such active magnetic field-force sensor is known, in which there is a magnetoelastic measuring element that is acted upon by a force to be measured and is disposed in a circular magnetic field in such a way that a change in the magnetic field caused by the force to be measured can be evaluated, for instance with an anisotropic magnetoresistive sensor (AMR sensor).